


Listen, I think we could be something.

by yukiawison



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 10:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2543999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukiawison/pseuds/yukiawison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first thing Enjolras noticed wasn’t the fact that Grantaire was sobbing, or that his usually snarky smirk had been replaced by a look of genuine terror. He didn’t even register the blood rolling down his friend’s forehead or the blackish blue bruise on his jaw. The only detail the blonde revolutionary could focus on was the fact that R was shouting in his face, and he couldn’t hear him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Listen, I think we could be something.

"Enj, Enj are you okay? Can you hear me Enjolras?"

  
Enjolras shook his head, mouthing no.

  
"You can’t hear me?" He continued frantically. "But you can read my lips?"

  
Enjolras nodded slowly, his eyes widening.

  
"I’m going to get us out of here Enj alright?" He stuck out his hand and pulled the other man up from the concrete. Around them people were shouting and throwing things. Police sirens echoed through the crowded street. Even Enjolras, who still couldn’t hear a thing, knew the rally had gotten way out of hand. It was a full blown riot, and if they didn’t get out soon they wouldn’t get out at all. R dragged him through the mass of people until they’d made it back to where Combeferre had parked his car. A bedraggled Courfeyrac, Joly, Bosset, Ferre, and Jehan had already arrived. Courf’s injuries looked the worst (besides Enjolras’s.) His face was badly bruised and he cradled his arm as if it were broken. Yet he gave Enjolras his trademark smile, weaker with worry, as the blonde limped forward, leaning heavily on Taire’s shoulder.

  
"You alright man? You were right in the thick of it," Courf asked, but Enjolras merely cocked his head to one side in confusion.

  
"We need to go to the hospital," R was thankful Enjolras couldn’t hear the panic in his voice. "He can’t hear anything," his voice cracked. "Enjolras can’t hear us."

  
* * *

  
"He’s been in there too long," Grantaire was pacing furiously. The others were seated with their heads in their hands in the waiting room. R couldn’t keep still. "He fell really hard, what if his hearing doesn’t come back? What if…?"

  
"R he’s going to be fine. I know you’re hopelessly in love with the man but you need to relax," Jehan replied, reaching out and hooking a hand onto Grantaire’s arm. "He’s Enjolras, he’ll make it through."

  
R nodded but his cheat still ached, making it hard to breath. Enjolras would be devastated if something permanent happened to his hearing. Speeches and debates would be ten times more difficult. If Enjolras couldn’t argue it was likely the two men wouldn’t bother communicating at all.

  
Ferre had gotten up to ask the doctor a question, and with a few quick nods he was ushering the group into Enjolras’s room.

  
Grantaire hung back hesitantly. “Courf are you sure he wants to see me? I mean he did yell at me right before…”

  
"Stop being stupid, of course he wants to see you. You saved him back there R."

  
Courfeyrac took him by the hand and pulled his panicked friend into the room.

  
* * *

  
It was too much. His vision was blurry, his head hurt, and there were too many things demanding his attention.

  
Joly was frantically checking all the medical equipment in the room, Ferre was probably trying to say something encouraging but Enjolras couldn’t read lips that fast, Courf, who now had a sling was adjusting his pillows with his good hand, and Marius had his hand linked to Cosette’s and was no doubt spouting out random useless phrases in a high pitched voice (Enj was kind of glad he couldn’t hear that one.) It was all too much and suddenly Enjolras couldn’t breathe. The only thing keeping him rooted to the bed was Grantaire’s hand holding his. The drunk had taken a seat beside him and in a motion that hardly seemed conscious took hold of his hand. Enjolras didn’t know what to do so his held it back and as he started to feel light headed and terrified he squeezed R’s hand tightly.

  
"Guys, guys I think he’s overwhelmed," R said, standing. His hand stayed connected to Enjolras’s however, and the others seemed to get the message.

  
"You’re right," Jehan replied. "We should give him some space." He put a hand on Cosette’s shoulder and led the Amis out of the room.

  
"I’ll let you sleep," R said slowly, realizing it was probably too dark for lip reading and jotting it down on a notepad he saw on the bedside table. He was starting to leave when Enjolras reached out and stopped him. He shook his head forcefully.

  
"No? You don’t want me to…?"

  
He shook his head again.

  
"Alright I’ll…I mean if you want me to. I always do what you ask," He laughed at his own joke. "And obviously you still can’t hear me."

  
Enjolras sighed, falling back against his pillow and as a result pulling Taire closer.

  
R sat back down, ran his free hand through his hair, and rested his elbows on the bed, still gripping Enjolras’s hand in an odd tangle of arms.

  
"I’m sorry about earlier," Taire said, taking comfort in the fact that the blonde couldn’t hear a word he said.

  
"I knew it was going to be dangerous. I got angry because I was scared for you. I love you and I don’t want you to get hurt," it was still kind of unnerving saying it aloud, even if it was too dark for him to read his lips. "And I was right you idiot. I was right and you’re scaring me because you’re not supposed to want me to stay. If everything were okay you’d yell at me."

  
Enjolras could hardly see his sometimes friend in the dark. He could tell he was speaking, but the petrifying feeling of not being able to hear was making it hard to focus.

  
"R?" He made an effort to speak but it felt weird not being able to sense how the word sounded.

  
Grantaire squeezed his hand again. “Yeah, I’m here, it’s okay.” The revolutionary’s voice had shaken more than Taire had ever heard, and the poor guy couldn’t even hear himself.

  
"I’ll stay here okay? Why am I telling you this? You can’t hear me." He tried not to cry, re-positioning himself so the grasp was less awkward. He patted Enjolras’s hand reassuringly.

  
The blonde nodded, seeming to understand, and closed his eyes.

  
"Goodnight Apollo."

  
* * *

"The rally’s gotten too big Enj. They’re angry enough. You have to be careful about what you…"

  
"You think I’m going to stay silent when the people are angry? I know what I’m doing R."

  
Grantaire sighed took a flask from his jacket pocket. “You’re going to do this now?”

  
R scowled. “I’m not the idiot here Apollo, the police are going to show up any minute and you know it’s a bad idea to be up on that platform when they do.  
"Why are you here if you’re not going to take any risks? Oh that’s right you’d rather just be useless!"

  
R knew it was just stress behind Enjolras’s biting words. Sure the man could argue, and was a tad insensitive, but he wasn’t cruel. R just shrugged and took another drink.

  
With a glare Enjolras was up on the speakers’ platform, yelling something he could hardly make out into a megaphone. Then the sirens, and the fighting, and Enj’s head disappeared in the crowd. You moron, I told you so.

  
It was dark when Enjolras woke up. Without his hearing, he felt especially grateful for his sight. Stray rays of sunlight bled through the hastily closed blinds. He felt surprisingly normal, no blurry vision or racing thoughts.

  
Well normal except for two things. One, he still couldn’t hear, and two there was a curious warmth by his ankles. He blinked, eyes adjusting.

  
Was that…? Grantaire’s head was tucked gently into the blankets at his feet.

  
R had really stayed the night? That sounded like it was against some kind of hospital protocol. He seemed so peaceful, the gentle rise and fall of his broad shoulders was something he hadn’t seen.

  
His chest felt tight again, like it had when he’d yelled at R before. He didn’t think he was useless. He hardly knew why Taire stuck around to argue with him all the time, but he appreciated it. He valued having someone to help him strengthen his points, even if it came through harsh words and yelling. Enjolras wasn’t great at expressing these kind of feelings however. He was unaccustomed to speaking with R on that kind of personal level. This was mostly because staring at him too long, when not in an argument, resulted in sweating palms and profuse blushing, two things with which Enj was extremely uncomfortable. He didn’t know why it was so much harder with R, like he was vulnerable when faced with those dark curls and eyes that gleamed with surprising intellect and courage. He admired R, but telling him that was a lot harder than it seemed.  
Reluctantly, he reached forward and tapped him on the shoulder.

  
Grantaire woke with a start, jerking upward with a confused and sleepy expression on his face. His hair flew every which way and Enj couldn’t help but grin.  
"God you’re hot," R muttered, but Enj failed to notice. Grantaire righted himself, taming his wild curls with his hands and shoving a gray beanie over the problem. Enjolras too, sat up a little straighter, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  
However, neither man was fully prepared when a tall doctor in a rumpled coat came in. He looked between the two men with confusion before clearing his throat and flipping a page on his clip board. “I assume you’re family?” He said, as if he knew that was a lie. “Only family members are allowed this early.”

  
Grantaire nodded. “How is he?”

  
The doctor smiled slightly. “He’s going to be fine. He has a mild concussion and a tear in his eardrum. These kind of ear injuries usually fix themselves in a couple of weeks, and we can prescribe antibiotics to fight against any kind of ear infection.”

  
Grantaire sighed, and Enjolras was looking increasingly anxious about the fact that he still hadn’t gotten the news. “So it should just come back?”

  
The doctor nodded. “We’ll keep an eye on him, but yes. He might be uncomfortable, ear injuries aren’t fun, but he’ll be just fine.”

  
Grantaire grinned and gave Enjolras the thumbs up before the doctor handed the clip board so he could read the news for himself.

  
* * *

  
"You know I’m completely swamped this week. I can’t look after him R. I wish I could, but I simply can’t stay home and make sure he doesn’t run into things or fail to evacuate if the fire alarm goes off. I just can’t!"

  
"What about Courfeyrac?" R asked, but Combeferre just shook his head.

  
"His place doesn’t have a spare room. Plus he’s only got one usable arm at the moment."

  
"Marius? Joly?"

  
"No one but you has space or time Grantaire. I don’t understand why you’re freaking out. I thought you wanted some one on one time with him?"

  
"I do," R stuttered. "I mean of course I do. I just…I don’t know. He won’t want me to look after him Ferre."

  
Combeferre shook his head, exasperated. “You are such an idiot sometimes. Of course he will. We’ll ask him alright? If he has a problem with it we’ll figure something else out.”

  
I’m going to stay with R? Enjolras wrote, holding the paper up so his friends could see.

  
Yes, Ferre scribbled back. If it’s okay with you. Grantaire was giving him this deer in headlights look he couldn’t understand.

  
Of course. He wrote back, and some color returned to R’s cheeks. Combeferre gave him a smug look, before nodding, leaning down to hug Enjolras who was seated in a hospital wheelchair, and pat Grantaire on the back.

  
R stared awkwardly back at Enjolras, unsure of what to do now that Combeferre wasn’t there. “Well I guess I should take you to my place then?” He said at last.

  
Enjolras just sighed and pointed to his ear in annoyance.

  
"Right, sorry."

  
* * *

  
Grantaire’s apartment wasn’t what Enjolras was expecting. It was neater and brighter, and all around more friendly than he had imagined. He had to lean on R going up the stairs. The concussion was making things difficult, and by the time they reached Taire’s apartment Enj was dizzy and out of breath.

  
"Here, um…I’ll make you some tea or something? I don’t know what you drink. You can set your stuff there," R said, pointing to a space by the couch. Enjolras seemed to get the message, nodding.

  
"Okay," R muttered to himself. "He’s in my house…alright I can do this." The blonde was sitting stiffly on the sofa now, glancing about without any real focus.  
Grantaire soon came back with two mugs of tea, setting one in front of his visitor nervously. He nodded in appreciation and gathered the warm mug in his hands. They sat in silence for awhile, both taking small sips of the cooling tea. Grantaire figured he might as well get it off his chest.

  
I’m not mad at you. He wrote, after digging up a pen and pad of paper. You probably don’t care, but I’m not. I just wanted you to be safe. He held up the words and watched as Enjolras’s sharp eyes read them. He looked kind of confused and R wondered if maybe the ink smudged and he couldn’t read it. The silence was too damn long.

  
I’m sorry. You should be mad. I was out of line. I don’t think you’re useless. No one does. I’m sorry I worried you. It wasn’t my intention.

  
Grantaire’s breath caught in his throat, and for a second he thought he was the one with the ripped ear drum. “Thanks,” he said finally.

  
I wasn’t that worried Apollo. I mean of course I was worried I just don’t want you to think it’s your fault or anything. You were just doing what you thought was right and I shouldn’t have tried to…

  
Enjolras could clearly read upside down because he put a hand over R’s to keep him from finishing the sentence. He eased the pen out of his friend’s hand, meeting his eyes.

  
It was my fault. It was dangerous and you warned me. You shouldn’t be thanking me. I’m trying to thank you (also to apologize but I think I’ve made that clear.)

  
R stood up and swayed slightly as nervous energy left through his toes. “Uh alright. I’m glad we um…yeah.” Enjolras looked at him skeptically.

  
"What do you want me to say Enj that was really sweet of you! You asshole," he trailed off, feeling significantly better about the situation.

  
* * *

  
Grantaire gathered a cornucopia of information about the man he’d been fantasizing about for a good year in the three days he stayed with him:

  
1) Enjolras, despite his punctuality, required no less than seven alarms on his phone to get up in the morning. The revolutionary had to explain this to Grantaire of course, seeing as he couldn’t very well wake up to an alarm. This meant that R had to shake and prod his house guest about ten times every morning, between his coffee and shower and other aspects of mornings that didn’t involve the blonde demon of bedhead.

  
2) An Enjolras without hearing was not an Enjolras without arguing. Grantaire would say something worth arguing over (and in close enough range to lip read) in the morning, and would come home to a five page essay on the topic written in the slanted handwriting of someone who was clearly concussed and should have been taking it easy thank you very much.

  
3) Enjolras hated casseroles of any variety. When people find out about a head injury, they tend to respond with gifts, in this case home cooked meals covered in plastic wrap in identical glass dishes that are a pain to clean let alone tell apart. This was made worse by the fact that when Enjolras ate, he hardly took two bites of whatever god awful lasagna or broccoli rice concoction the neighbors brought over.

  
The most disappointing fact R learned as three days bled into a week, was that if by some miracle Enjolras came to live with R permanently, the artist would absolutely love it.

  
* * *

  
"I’m not sure how long I can do this." Enjolras was asleep on the couch, some nature documentary blaring in the background.

  
"Again, you’ve got me confused. I thought you liked having him here?" Ferre replied.

  
Grantaire ran a hand though his hair. “That’s the problem. I like it too much. I’m drinking less and painting more and it’s really been a god damn dream Combeferre. I just know it’s going to hurt like hell when he’s better. The doctor said a week and a half,” his voice got quiet. “I don’t think I can go three more days without…accidentally kissing him or something.”

  
"How does one accidentally…?"

  
"That’s not the point!"

  
Combeferre adjusted his glasses. “Fine, I’ll work something out. I’m sorry it has to be like this R.”

  
"I’m sorry too. I just know I’ll never have a chance. I mean look at me. And this is so close to what I want. I feel like I’m falling more and more in love with him every day. He’s kinder and gentler and more human than I thought he was. I don’t know why him…but it’s always been him and I don’t think I’m ever going to stop loving Enjolras. I’m sorry I’m going on like this. You don’t want to hear the same crap I always…"

  
* * *

  
The South American anaconda, the world’s heaviest snake, submerges itself in water to stalk it’s prey.

  
Enjolras was suddenly aware of how loud the TV was. It was a shock to have his ears back after over a week of silence and he was about to jump up and find R when he heard something other than the anaconda’s hunting patterns.

  
"I feel like I’m falling more and more in love with him every day. He’s kinder and gentler and more human than I thought he was. I don’t know why him…but it’s always been him and I don’t think I’m ever going to stop loving Enjolras. I’m sorry I’m going on like this. You don’t want to hear the same crap I always…"

  
"Don’t say that alright. You know that’s not how I feel."

  
Grantaire, and Combeferre, but mostly Grantaire and he was…that was a love confession wasn’t it? Well more of a restatement from the way he sounded. Grantaire was in love with him? Even after everything he’d said to him, all the insults and miscommunications? He’d been an absolute nightmare to live with the past week, that much he knew, and R insisted he was in love with him? As much as he missed sound, he wished he was back in silent ignorance.

  
"Bye Ferre, thanks for stopping by." He heard the door close.

  
"Hey Apollo. You’re looking adorable as usual." R said, coming into the room. Oh god is that what he’s been doing this whole time? Enjolras gulped. He couldn’t do this, not right now.

  
"Don’t worry, you won’t have to stay here much longer," he muttered.

  
Instead of replying with his new found voice, Enjolras held up a piece of paper that read. I can’t hear you remember? and gave him a forced smile.

  
* * *

  
I’m a coward. He’s going to hate me. He’s going to hate me because I lied to him and I like him and I don’t want to leave. He talked about loving me like it hurt him. I don’t want to hurt him. I want to kiss him but I don’t want him to hate me. Please let him not hate me.

  
Thoughts raced through Enjolras’s head as he waited for R to get back from work. He couldn’t focus on the notes Jehan had made him for a class he’d been missing, reading them again and again because the words refused to do anything but blur together. As the clocked ticked he felt his heart beating out of his chest.

  
"Hey Enj, you miss me? Of course you didn’t what am I saying?"

  
The blonde stood up as soon as the door opened, and with a few confident strides virtually trapped R between him and the door.

  
"I’m a liar Grantaire," he said, before R could say anything.

  
"Your hearing’s back! Oh my god what…?"

  
"It came back last night Taire."

  
"It…shit you didn’t hear me?" His eyes widened, and his fists clenched at his sides.

  
"I heard what you said to Combeferre, about loving me. Listen to me R, I’m sad that when you talked about me," the next words still tingled on his tongue. "talked about your feelings for me…you sounded like you were in pain. I don’t want to hurt you R."

  
"Wait so you heard all that and you didn’t tell me?" R’s voice rose. "You lie to me and you don’t want to hurt me? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

  
Enjolras could feel the tears in his eyes. “Please don’t hate me R. I can’t take you hating me. I messed up. I really like you and I messed it all up.”

  
Grantaire didn’t seem to hear. “You think you can reject me and claim you don’t want to see me in pain? You know what would spare me some pain? If you told me you could hear me in the first place you hypocritical son of a…wait what?”

  
Enjolras took a step forward. “I’ve found that when one loses a sense, they make up for it with others. I may have lost my ability to hear, but my ability to understand my own feelings appears to have grown.”

  
"What?" R squeaked.

  
"I really am sorry I didn’t say something sooner. I was scared, and you kept saying things about how attractive you found me and I couldn’t remember how to talk."  
He flushed. “So you…?”

  
"I like you Grantaire. I think you’re smart and sweet and talented. I’m developing a giant crush on you."

  
"I love you," R whispered.

  
"Apparently that wasn’t a secret to everyone but me," he smiled, content with the way the words sounded on R’s lips.

  
R’s breathing slowed. “I couldn’t hate you. You’ve got to know that. I love you too much.”

  
Enjolras kissed him, and it was warm and rushed and nothing like he planned. “That was bad wasn’t it?”

  
"It wasn’t bad. Jesus Enj it was by no means bad."

  
"I’m not exactly experienced in this," Enjolras muttered, staring unapologetically at R’s lips. "but listen, I think we could be something. I’m quite sure I could love you too."


End file.
